2024 BYU Fall Camp: Specialists Preview

BYU returns its kicker from 2023 in Will Ferrin. 

The transfer from Boise State, Ferrin made 11 of 14 field goals last season and 32 of 33 PAT attempts.

Ferrin, from Kaysville, Utah, was the Cougars leading scorer in 2023 with 65 total points. He was named to the 2024 College Football Network Preseason All Big-12 Third Team. 

He made a season-long 49 yarder against Oklahoma and made multiple field goals in four games. 

Ferrin also served as the kickoff specialist in his first year as a Cougar, with 55 kicks for 3,461 yards and posted 34 touchbacks.

Also returning is Matthias Dunn, a kicker from Wasatch High School out of Heber, Utah.

Dunn didn't see any action in 2023 but was an all-state first-team selection in high school. 

The Cougars have to replace All-American punter Ryan Rehkow who is currently with the Cincinnati Bengals. 

BYU brought in a transfer from Pittsburgh in Sam Vander Haar to compete for the punting job with Rehkow's younger brother, Landon Rehkow. 

Vander Haar, an Australian from Melbourne, uses the rugby style kick and punted 30 times, averaging 38.5 yards per punt in 12 games. 

In 2022, placed 11 inside the 20-yard line while 10 of his punts resulted in a fair catch.

Vander Haar was also named to the All-ACC Academic team. 

The younger Rehkow returns after redshirting last season. He did see action in two games for placekicking duties as a holder. 

Rehkow was a 4A All-State selection in Washington out of Central Valley High School. 

Another younger brother looks for his opportunity in 2024 in Dalton Riggs after his brother Austin moved on after holding downt he longsnapping duties last season. 

Riggs, a 6-foot-3, 230-pounder out of Eagle, Idaho, has seen time in three games over the past two seasons filling in for long snapping duties for his older brother.

Joining Riggs is true freshman Cannon Skidmore. 

Skidmore, a 6-foot-2, 200-pound snapper from Mesa, Arizona, was rated the No. 2 long snapper in the nation in the 2024 recruiting class. 

He was selected to the Under Armour All-America game and was a 6A All-State First Team selection in Arizona.

BYU gets several players with kick and punt return experience back on the field in 2024. 

Parker Kingston returns after getting 11 punt returns in 2023 for 51 yards with a long of 31 yards.

Other players looking to get into the punt return game include Chase Roberts, Keelan Marion, Pokai Haunga and several others. 

Marion turned into the main kick returner in 2023 with 19 returns for 393 yards for an average 20.7 yards with a long of 40 yards.

Kingston also returned six kicks for 164 yards. 

Miles Davis, Hinckley Ropati and several new faces could join those looking for opportunities in the return game in 2024. 

In addition to his duties as defensive ends coach, Kelly Poppinga returns in 2024 as BYU's special teams coordinator. 

Poppinga, from Evanston, Wyoming, has coached special teams for seven seasons at BYU previously (2013-15) and at Virginia and Boise State before his return to the Cougar coaching staff. 

A former All-Mountain West linebacker at BYU, Poppinga spent time in the NFL, helping the Arizona Cardinals reach Super Bowl XLIII.